South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball facts for kids
Quick facts for kids South Carolina Gamecocks |
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| University | University of South Carolina | |||
| All-time record | 1020–535 (.656) | |||
| Athletic director | Ray Tanner | |||
| Head coach | Dawn Staley (16th season) | |||
| Conference | SEC | |||
| Location | Columbia, South Carolina | |||
| Arena | Colonial Life Arena (Capacity: 18,000) |
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| Nickname | Gamecocks | |||
| Student section | The Cockpit | |||
| Colors | Garnet and Black |
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| Uniforms | ||||
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| NCAA Tournament Champions | ||||
| 2017, 2022, 2024 | ||||
| NCAA Tournament Final Four | ||||
| 2015, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 | ||||
| NCAA Tournament Elite Eight | ||||
| 2002, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 | ||||
| NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 1982, 1990, 2002, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 | ||||
| NCAA Tournament Second round | ||||
| 1982, 1988, 1990, 2002, 2003, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 | ||||
| NCAA Tournament Appearances | ||||
| 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2002, 2003, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 | ||||
| AIAW Tournament Final Four | ||||
| 1980 | ||||
| AIAW Tournament Elite Eight | ||||
| 1980 | ||||
| AIAW Tournament Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 1980 | ||||
| AIAW Tournament Appearances | ||||
| 1973, 1980 | ||||
| Conference Tournament Champions | ||||
| Metro Conference: 1986, 1988, 1989 SEC: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024 |
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| Conference Regular Season Champions | ||||
| Metro Conference: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 SEC: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 |
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The South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team plays for the University of South Carolina. They are part of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Under their coach, Dawn Staley, the Gamecocks have become one of the best teams in the country. They won the top college basketball championship, the NCAA Championship, in 2017, 2022, and 2024. The team also had great success in the 1980s with coach Nancy Wilson. During that time, they won five regular season conference titles and three conference tournament titles in the Metro Conference.
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Team History and Success
The Gamecocks women's basketball team first played in 1923. Back then, they were called the Pullets. This name was a fun play on "Gamecocks," which refers to a rooster. A pullet is a young hen.
The team's modern era started in January 1974. They were known as the Carolina Chicks and were coached by Pam Backhaus. This first team had a good record of 15 wins and 7 losses. They also became the South Carolina AIAW champions. In 1977, with Pam Parsons as coach, the team changed its name to the Lady Gamecocks. They went to postseason tournaments every year during her four years.
During their eight years in the Metro Conference, the Lady Gamecocks won the regular season championship five times. They also won the conference tournament three times.
When South Carolina joined the SEC, it was a tough start. The SEC is one of the strongest conferences in women's basketball. Coaches Nancy Wilson and Susan Walvius faced challenges. However, Walvius's teams in 2001–02 and 2002–03 did very well. They finished with records of 25–7 and 23–8. These teams made it to the NCAA tournament, reaching the Elite Eight in 2002.
Coach Walvius left after the 2007–08 season. On May 7, 2008, Dawn Staley became the new head coach. The team is now simply called the "Gamecocks."
Under Coach Staley, the Gamecocks got better every year for her first seven seasons. In 2014–15, they had an amazing 34 wins and only 3 losses. That year, they won the SEC regular season title and the SEC Tournament. They also won the NCAA East Region Championship. Their season ended in the NCAA Final Four with a very close one-point loss.
The next year, the Gamecocks won all their conference games. But they were stopped in the Sweet Sixteen by Syracuse. In 2016–17, they won their third straight SEC regular season and tournament titles. They then reached their second Final Four. They beat their rival Mississippi State in the championship game. This win gave them their first-ever national title!
In the 2018 SEC tournament, the Gamecocks beat Mississippi State again to win the tournament. South Carolina is the only team to win the SEC tournament four years in a row. Their season ended in the Elite Eight when they lost to Connecticut.
In 2020, South Carolina finished with a fantastic 32 wins and only 1 loss. They won both the SEC regular season and tournament titles. The team won their last 26 games and was ranked #1 for nine weeks. Dawn Staley was named national coach of the year. Aliyah Boston was named national freshman of the year. The season ended early because of the COVID-19 pandemic. South Carolina was ranked #1 in the polls at that time.
On April 3, 2022, the Gamecocks won their second national title. They beat UConn 64–49. They finished the season with 35 wins and 2 losses. They were ranked #1 in both major polls all season long. Aliyah Boston was named Player of the Year. Dawn Staley won the Naismith Award for best coach.
On February 18, 2024, South Carolina set a new record. They won 43 straight SEC games!
Current Roster
| 2023–24 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coaches of the Team
| Name | Years | Seasons | Games | Won | Lost | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pam Backhaus | 1974–1975 1976–1977 |
2 | 56 | 26 | 30 | .464 |
| Frankie Porter | 1975–1976 | 1 | 22 | 7 | 15 | .318 |
| Pam Parsons | 1977–1981 | 5 | 144 | 101 | 43 | .701 |
| Terry Kelly | 1982–1984 | 3 | 82 | 50 | 32 | .610 |
| Nancy Wilson | 1985–1997 | 13 | 380 | 231 | 149 | .608 |
| Susan Walvius | 1998–2008 | 11 | 325 | 165 | 160 | .508 |
| Dawn Staley | 2008–present | 16 | 546 | 440 | 106 | .805 |
| All-Time | 51 | 1555 | 1020 | 535 | .656 | |
2024 Coaching Staff
| Name | Position | Seasons at South Carolina | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawn Staley | Head coach | 16th | |
| Lisa Boyer | Associate head coach | 16th | |
| Jolette Law | Assistant coach | 7th | |
| Winston Gandy | Assistant coach | 1st | |
| Khadijah Sessions | Assistant coach | 1st | |
| Mary Wooley | Assistant coach | 1st | |
| Reference: | |||
Championship Wins
National Championships
The Gamecocks have won the NCAA National Championship three times.
| Year | Coach | Opponent | Score | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Dawn Staley | Mississippi State Bulldogs | 67–55 | 33–4 |
| 2022 | Dawn Staley | UConn Huskies | 64–49 | 35–2 |
| 2024 | Dawn Staley | Iowa Hawkeyes | 87–75 | 38–0 |
| National Championships | 3 | |||
Conference Championships
The team has won many conference titles.
| Year | Overall Record | Conference Record | Coach | Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 18–11 | 9–1 | Nancy Wilson | Metro |
| 1988 | 23–11 | 10–2 | Nancy Wilson | Metro |
| 1989 | 23–7 | 10–2 | Nancy Wilson | Metro |
| 1990 | 24–9 | 13–1 | Nancy Wilson | Metro |
| 1991 | 22–9 | 12–2 | Nancy Wilson | Metro |
| 2014 | 29–5 | 14–2 | Dawn Staley | SEC |
| 2015 | 34–3 | 15–1 | Dawn Staley | SEC |
| 2016 | 33–2 | 16–0 | Dawn Staley | SEC |
| 2017 | 33–4 | 14–2 | Dawn Staley | SEC |
| 2020 | 32–1 | 16–0 | Dawn Staley | SEC |
| 2022 | 35–2 | 15–1 | Dawn Staley | SEC |
| 2023 | 36–1 | 16–0 | Dawn Staley | SEC |
| 2024 | 38–0 | 16–0 | Dawn Staley | SEC |
Game Day Experience: Attendance
The Gamecocks have played in three different places over the years. First, they played at the Blatt P.E. Center. Later, games moved to the Carolina Coliseum. This arena saw its first sold-out women's basketball game on January 17, 2002. On that day, 12,168 fans came to watch South Carolina play the Tennessee Lady Vols.
On November 22, 2002, the Gamecocks opened the new Colonial Life Arena. It was a special "$1 admission night." A huge crowd of 17,712 people watched the Gamecocks beat their rival, the Clemson Lady Tigers. The arena's first full sell-out, with 18,000 fans, happened on February 8, 2016. This was for a game against the University of Connecticut Huskies, a match between the country's top two teams.
Largest Crowds at Colonial Life Arena
Here are some of the biggest crowds for women's basketball games at Colonial Life Arena:
| Date | Attendance | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02-18-2024 | 18,478 | Georgia | W 70–56 |
| 02-11-2024 | 18,167 | UConn | W 83–65 |
| 03-03-2024 | 18,000 | Tennessee | W 76–68 |
| 02-04-2024 | 18,000 | Ole Miss | W 85–56 |
| 01-28-2024 | 18,000 | Vanderbilt | W 91–74 |
| 02-26-2023 | 18,000 | Georgia | W 73–63 |
| 02-12-2023 | 18,000 | LSU | W 88–64 |
| 02-20-2022 | 18,000 | Tennessee | W 67–53 |
| 03-01-2020 | 18,000 | Texas A&M | W 60–52 |
| 02-10-2020 | 18,000 | UConn | W 70–52 |
| 03-03-2019 | 18,000 | Mississippi State | L 68–64 |
| 02-01-2018 | 18,000 | UConn | L 58–83 |
| 02-26-2017 | 18,000 | Kentucky | W 95–87 |
| 02-08-2016 | 18,000 | UConn | L 66–54 |
| 11-22-2002 | 17,712 | Clemson | W 72–58 |
| 01-11-2015 | 17,156 | Kentucky | W 68–60 |
| 11-16-2023 | 16,820 | Clemson | W 109–40 |
| 11-13-2015 | 16,815 | Ohio State | W 88–80 |
| 01-02-2015 | 16,465 | Auburn | W 77–58 |
| 12-06-2015 | 16,429 | Duke | W 66–55 |
| 02-28-2016 | 16,240 | LSU | W 75–39 |
| 02-18-2016 | 16,186 | Georgia | W 61–51 |
| 12-06-2023 | 16,181 | Morgan State | W 104–38 |
| 11-12-2023 | 16,007 | Maryland | W 114–76 |
South Carolina has been number one in the nation for attendance almost every season since 2014–15. The only exception was 2020, when crowds were limited due to COVID. The Gamecocks have had over 10,000 fans at 92 home games in a row!
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* The 2019 NCAA Tournament games were played in Halton Arena, Charlotte, NC
- The 2021 NCAA Tournament games were played in the bubble at the Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
Notable Players and Awards
Gamecocks Drafted to the WNBA
Many Gamecocks players have gone on to play in the WNBA, the top professional women's basketball league.
| Player | Draft | Seasons | Notes | WNBA Champion | WNBA MVP | Finals MVP | Rookie of the Year | All-Star Game | All-Star |
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| Shannon Johnson | 1999 – Orlando | 11 | (1999–2009) Orlando, Connecticut, San Antonio, Detroit, Houston, Seattle | 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 | 1999, 2000, 2002 | ||||
| Shaunzinski Gortman | 2002 – 9th by Charlotte | 5 | (2002–2006) Last with the Seattle Storm | ||||||
| Jocelyn Penn | 2003 – 9th by Charlotte | 2 | (2003–2004) Last with the San Antonio | ||||||
| Tiffany Mitchell | 2016 – 9th by Indiana | 8 | (2016–Present) Indiana Fever, Minnesota | ||||||
| Alaina Coates | 2017 – 2nd by Chicago | 5 | (2017–Present) Chicago, Minnesota, Indiana, Atlanta, Washington, Phoenix, Las Vegas | 2023 | |||||
| Allisha Gray | 2017 – 4th by Dallas | 5 | (2017–present) Dallas Wings, Atlanta | 2017 | 2023 | ||||
| Kaela Davis | 2017 – 10th by Dallas | 5 | (2017–Present) Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Seattle, Phoenix | ||||||
| A'ja Wilson | 2018 – 1st by Las Vegas | 6 | (2018–Present) Las Vegas | 2022, 2023 | 2020, 2022 | 2023 | 2018 | 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 | 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 |
| Mikiah Herbert Harrigan | 2020 – 6th by Minnesota | 2 | (2020–Present) Minnesota, Seattle | ||||||
| Tyasha Harris | 2020 – 7th by Dallas | 4 | (2020–Present) Dallas, Connecticut | ||||||
| Destanni Henderson | 2022 – 20th by Indiana | 2 | (2022–Present) Indiana, Los Angeles, Phoenix | ||||||
| Aliyah Boston | 2023 – 1st by Indiana | 1 | (2023–Present) Indiana | 2023 | 2023 | ||||
| Laeticia Amihere | 2023 – 8th by Atlanta | 1 | (2023–Present) Atlanta | ||||||
| Zia Cooke | 2023 – 10th by Los Angeles | 1 | (2023–Present) Los Angeles | ||||||
| Brea Beal | 2023 – 24th by Minnesota | 1 | (2023–Present) Minnesota, Las Vegas | ||||||
| Victaria Saxton | 2023 – 25th by Indiana | 1 | (2023–Present) Indiana |
Other Gamecocks drafted to the WNBA include:
- Teresa Geter – 2002 – by Washington
- Petra Ujhelyi – 2003 – by Phoenix
- Aleighsa Welch – 2015 – by Chicago
Retired Jerseys
South Carolina has honored four players by retiring their jersey numbers. This means no other player will wear that number.
| No. | Player | Career |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Martha Parker | 1985–1989 |
| 14 | Shannon Johnson | 1992–1996 |
| 25 | Tiffany Mitchell | 2012–2016 |
| 53 | Sheila Foster | 1978–1982 |
National Player Awards
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National Coach Awards
- Naismith College Coach of the Year
- Dawn Staley – 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024
- WBCA National Coach of the Year
- Dawn Staley – 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024
- AP Coach of the Year
- Dawn Staley – 2020, 2024
- USBWA Women's National Coach of the Year
- Dawn Staley – 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024
Conference Awards
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* Denotes Co-Player / Co-Coach
